Tuesday Night Matinee: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

 

Director: James Gunn

Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Kurt Russell

Released: 2017

Trailer

Synopsis: The Guardians—Starlord/Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, and Baby Groot—are back, this time encountering not only the Sovereigns, but also a humanoid being named Ego who claims to be an important figure in Starlord’s past. Meanwhile, Yondu wrestles with his conscience and attempts to redeem himself after finding himself exiled from his fellow Ravagers for previous actions against the group’s code. All of these threads (and more!) eventually intersect, leaving the existence of not only the Guardians, but the future of the universe as we know it, hanging in the balance.

 

Well, I finally saw Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Before I begin to give my opinion of this film, I have to be perfectly honest…

I thought Guardians of the Galaxy was just okay.

Yes, I realize that that assertion is blasphemy. But it really didn’t elicit much of a reaction from me other than, “That was all right.” The action was okay, the characters were kind of cool, and even the soundtrack choices were fun. But something about it, be it the lackluster villain, the hit and miss jokes, or the lack of time to develop these characters beyond the basic “adversity brings a ragtag band of misfits together” plotline, just didn’t really stick with me. Even Groot’s temporary sacrifice, while somewhat sad, rang manipulative and unearned, particularly since that sacrifice is undone by the presence of Baby Groot. It’s not a bad film, but it could have done so much more with its material.

Vol. 2, on the other hand, delivered everything I hoped that the first installment would deliver. The jokes actually made me laugh out loud, compared to the jokes in the first film that mostly elicited nothing more than a chuckle with the occasional hysterical moment. The jailbreak scene in Vol. 2, where Baby Groot has to find a certain object to help Yondu and Rocket Raccoon escape from the brig, is hilarious, and even involves a rather dark comedic moment involving, well…I won’t spoil it here, but the scene is both shocking and amusing, with Yondu and Rocket’s reactions to this moment making this moment work so well.

Speaking of which, the performances in this film are great, particularly from Michael Rooker as Yondu and Kurt Russell as Ego. Rooker was enjoyable in the first Guardians, but he didn’t leave much of a dramatic impact other than having a cool scene involving his whistle-controlled flying arrow weapon. In Vol. 2, his role is expanded and given a surprising amount of depth. The film is as much his story as it is the other Guardians’, and Rooker does a fantastic job portraying Yondu as both tough and compassionate.

Kurt Russell is also great in this film as Ego, and has some great scenes with Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill character. Before I continue with any more critique of the performance, here is a SPOILER WARNING, as what follows will spoil a good chunk of the story.

 

 

SPOILERS FOLLOW

 

While it is obvious that there is more to Ego’s character—namely that he is going to be the primary antagonist—Russell still makes the character interesting and charismatic. This is more than what can be said for previous Marvel film villains, who seem very generic and uninteresting, with very little to them save the most basic of motivations.

Yes, Ego’s motivations are similar to those of, say, Ultron in the last Avengers film, which could be off-putting to some. But the fact that Ego has such a strong connection with Quill (he is Peter’s father, after all) and actually has a unique way of executing his plan makes him a villain that Marvel so desperately needed to keep from falling in that hole of having great heroes, but mediocre and uninteresting villains. The fact that he also uses deception to trick his own son into ultimately being a conduit for his power makes his character that much more diabolical. Needless to say, I wish the film did not conclude Ego’s story so soon; I would have loved to see him in future films, as he’s probably one of my favorite villains the Marvel Cinematic Universe has given us.

 

SPOILERS OVER

 

I would also like to add that Dave Bautista’s acting as Drax is far more hilarious in this film than in the previous one. The script allows Bautista to cut loose and actually be amusing at times, particularly when Drax decides that the best way to defeat a creature with impenetrable skin (which is quickly debunked not only by what follows but by earlier quips by his teammates) is to be devoured by the creature and attack it from the inside.

The effects and cinematography are also very well done. The colors are far more vibrant than those in a majority of the past Marvel films, and definitely “pop” in comparison to the drab and washed-out colors of last year’s Captain America: Civil War. As a result, many of the scenes look like something (to use a cliched phrase) ripped straight from the comics, especially when over-the-top and outlandish things happen, such as Gamora hoisting a ship’s gargantuan laser canon over her shoulder and firing it like it was an ordinary gun.

Ego’s planet looks especially beautiful with its shiny buildings and lush vegetation that look like something out of Oz: The Great and Powerful. Even the moving statues inside of Ego’s home are beautifully designed and do an excellent job of visually conveying Ego’s backstory.

Even the more subtle effects are well done. Disney seems to have nearly perfected its de-aging CG technology, as the effects used to make Kurt Russell look like he did back in the ‘80s are fantastic. Granted, there are some moments where an angle on the face doesn’t look quite right or the mouth doesn’t move normally for a moment. Compared to just seven years ago, however, when Jeff Bridges’ CG young face in Tron: Legacy was considered groundbreaking but hasn’t aged well at all (the effect, not Bridges’ face), this is a huge leap in special effects work that deserves recognition.

The film also features one of the best Stan Lee cameos, even including a continuity nod to another bizarre aspect of the Marvel Universe that I dare not spoil.

That said, the film does have some problems. Vol. 2’s over-reliance on the soundtrack is definitely more obnoxious here than it was in the first film. The characters even acknowledge that they need some fighting music a couple times (at least) in the movie. Granted, the “Mr. Blue Sky” sequence that opens the film is a lot of fun to watch, particularly since it mostly focuses on Baby Groot. But other moments, like the repeated usage of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain,” feel unnecessary.

The pop culture references are hit and miss as well. While references to Pac-Man, Mary Poppins, and even a stealthy, more than likely unintentional reference to the famous airplane scene in North by Northwest work well enough, the repeated references to David Hasselhoff feel rather desperate, like the film is trying to top its predecessor’s references to Kevin Bacon.

It also does not feel as though certain threads are developed enough. The Sovereigns seem braced to have a huge impact on the story, only to become plot devices at convenient moments and ultimately the source of the film’s MacGuffins. It also does not help that they are so easily dealt with each time they show up and are easily overshadowed by Ego’s story. They do serve a purpose, but they almost feel unnecessary throughout most of the runtime.

Gamora and Nebula’s story thread also does not have enough development to make much of an impact on the audience. While what the film does present is somewhat sufficient, a bit more time should have been devoted to it. Or, if that is not an option, it should have been removed. After all, a Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is all but guaranteed with how popular the Marvel Cinematic Universe sub-franchise is, especially compared to those of the supposed frontrunners of the Universe such as Thor. So, saving this subplot for the next film would have been a better option.

I also wish that Mantis had more to do in this film. Pom Klementieff does fine with what little she is given, but other than a few scenes where she doles out exposition and uses her powers to read the Guardians’ emotions and make Ego sleep, there’s not much for Mantis to do. Her presence is so small in this film, I almost forgot she was even in the film until I watched the trailer again to capture snapshots for this review.

Other plot elements are also predictable at times, particularly because the foreshadowing of said elements can be painfully on the nose. For example (SPOILERS), a fellow Ravager (played by Sylvester Stallone) berates Yondu for violating the Ravager’s Code and tells him that he will never be honored by his fellow Ravagers in the event of his death. First, this exchange sets up in no uncertain terms that Yondu will indeed redeem himself. Second, this exchange makes it painfully clear that not only will Yondu die at the end, but that the other Ravagers will be there to send him off. Some ambiguity in this foreshadowing would have been appreciated and would have made Yondu’s death more shocking and thus have a far greater impact. (SPOILERS OVER)

Finally, a minor nitpick, but something that distracted me was the product placement in the film. Normally, product placement is not bothersome. In fact, it is understandable that a film features it. Not only does it pay for the film, but it also grounds its world in a relatable reality. The blatant Dairy Queen advertising, however, is distracting, particularly when a cataclysmic moment is about to happen. But this example is not as distracting as the Zune advertisement toward the end, even going as far as telling Quill (and the audience) how many songs it can hold.

But despite these issues, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a good addition to the MCU, and surpasses the first film in quality. There are some moments that are fairly predictable and formulaic, but that goes with the territory with films such as this one, and there are plenty of fun and interesting moments and ideas to make up for this.

Final Score: 8/10

---

For more reviews, be sure to like this page as well as the Facebook page. For previous reviews, be sure to check out the full directory of reviews. As always, thank you for reading!

Halloween Film Month IV: The Final Chapter, Day 30: The Crow: City of Angels

 

Director: Tim Pope

Starring: Vincent Perez, Mia Kirshner, Richard Brooks, Iggy Pop

Released: 1996

Trailer

 

Well, it’s Devil’s Night. You all what that means: it’s time to look at another film in The Crow series. Tonight’s film is the very first sequel, The Crow: City of Angels. Much-maligned by critics, this film takes the basic plot of the first film and replicates it, changing only a handful of details to make the film different. First, the film’s protagonist, Ashe, does not lose his fiancé, but his son, to a bunch of crazed criminals with their own “pirate nicknames.” The leader of this group of criminals is Judah, who runs a drug operation and practically all of the city, who also has an interest in dark magic and mysticism. Oh, and Sarah is in this film, too, albeit older and serving as a sort of guide to Ashe. Well, at first, anyway.

To be fair, the concept of this film could work. It expands the mythos of the vengeful spirit of the crow. Instead of being a connecting force to just Eric Draven, the crow can also bond with other spirits who cannot rest until their unfinished business is complete. The Dia de los Muertos theme is an interesting departure from the last film’s Devil Night theming, and actually seems to suit the concept of these films better than Devil’s Night. Even including Sarah in the film could be an interesting idea, expanding upon her character while making her a mentor for Ashe.

Unfortunately, none of this adds up into a cohesive whole. The idea of the crow bonding to other vengeful spirits is explored here, but poorly, and as a plot device for the hilariously bad climax of the film where the spirits all dive bomb on Judah. The Dia de los Muertos idea, while visually implemented somewhat well, does not add to the story at all. At least Devil’s Night’s, er, festivities were the reason why Eric Draven became the crow-guided protagonist of the first film. And Sarah…Sarah only shows up every once in a while to stare blankly and act in a dull and wooden manner against her more flamboyantly portrayed costars. Otherwise, she’s pretty much useless.

The best way to describe this film is hollow. It tries to replicate elements of the first film in a far poorer way. For example, the gang of criminals, save Iggy Pop’s character because he is, well, Iggy Pop, are unmemorable and uninteresting, especially compared to the colorful rogues gallery of the first film. Judah is also a joke, never confronting Ashe until the very end of the film and only proving to be a Top Dollar wannabe who eventually turns into a Crow wannabe, complete with smudgy eye make-up.

 

There’s a kind of cool scene involving Ashe suiting up in leather while the film cuts to corresponding footage of the guardian crow flapping its wings about in a similar manner. It’s a shame that this is undermined by the fact that Ashe is a worse character than Draven, and his “transformation” pales in comparison to Eric’s far more emotional change and suit-up scene in the first film.

 

As a final nail in the coffin, the visuals are absolutely unappealing. The action scenes are poorly shot and choreographed, looking amateur and unconvincing. Every flip and stab looks staged, and it doesn’t help that every death scene involves the image of a crow somewhere in the shot, be it by conveniently placed flowers or a conveniently shaped blood splatter on the pavement. At least in the first film, the crow insignia was used only once, and was deliberately created from fire by Eric, not just a result of some happy accident. Even the cinematography of these scenes does not look good, as apparently the director decided to film the entire film with a urine-colored filter for the camera lens.

 

The Crow: City of Angels has so much going for it as well as so much to prove as a film. Unfortunately, its ridiculous and heartless script as well as poorly choreographed action makes the film a chore to sit through, each scene dragging more and more as the film’s story goes on. If one is looking for a good superhero film, this is not it. If one is looking for a decent sequel to the original starring Brandon Lee, this is definitely not it, and should be avoided at all costs.

 

Final Score: 1/10

---

For more reviews, be sure to like this page as well as the Facebook page. For previous reviews, be sure to check out the full directory of reviews. As always, thank you for reading!

Tuesday Night Matinee: Batman: The Killing Joke

Director: Sam Liu

Starring: Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Tara Strong, Ray Wise

Released: 2016

Trailer

 

As always, keep an open mind.

 

One of my earliest childhood memories was watching Batman: Mask of the Phantasm on video tape. I remember watching it so much as a kid, that by the time we retired it in favor of the newfangled DVD technology, the tape was nearly completely worn out.

Why do I mention this, other than the aforementioned film is also about Batman? I mention Mask of the Phantasm because it was the first time I ever saw and—most importantly—heard Mark Hamill as the Joker. Ever since the first day I watched that tape, Mark Hamill has been and always will be the true voice of the Joker.

So, naturally, when I heard that Hamill would be returning to voice the Joker once againin an animated adaptation of the most famous Joker story, The Killing Joke, I was thrilled. Adding to Hamill’s return, having Kevin Conroy return to voice Batman once again further fueled my anticipation. Finally, as the icing on the cake, the film would be a fairly (with only a few scenes added) faithful adaptation of the now legendary story: the Joker’s nefarious plot to not only cripple Barbara Gordon, but also drive Commissioner Gordon and Batman to his level of insanity.

But does this film deliver? Well, yes and no. In order to fairly analyze the film, one must analyze the film in two parts. Why? Because, essentially, the film consists of two different stories: one involving the story appearing in the film’s namesake comic book, and one involving Barbara Gordon’s past as Batgirl.

Before analyzing each part, this reviewer would like to compliment this film as a whole. For a film made to be released on home video, the sound design is fantastic. The gun shots and explosions add the necessary tension to each action scene, and sound great in a theater setting. But the great sound is not limited to just the percussive portions of the film. During the fight scenes, every punch and kick sounds painful and visceral. The action scenes, though the animation is a touch choppy, are well blocked and filmed. Combine the great sound with the great images, and you have some of the best 2D animated fight scenes I have seen in quite a while. While Mask of the Phantasm may be my favorite animated Batman film, the action scenes—while decent—certainly weren’t as stylized or exciting to watch as those in this film.

The Killing Joke portion of the story—the second half of the film—is easily the best part, as it is an incredibly faithful adaptation of the original comic. Some will argue that certain events or bits of dialogue don’t play out exactly as they do in the comic. I for one am a bit disappointed that the transitions between the past and present don’t occur as smoothly in the film, mostly because the comic’s script—written by the legendary Allan Moore—allows transitions to occur through juxtaposed images.

Yes, this difference is disappointing, but one must remember that this is an adaptation, not a direct translation, meaning that there will be occasional changes to fit the medium. What measures the quality of an adaptation is not so much how much of the story is kept as it was in the source material (though it is still important), but how it all is presented and incorporated.

This second half of film is effective in establishing an especially disturbing, creepy tone. Perhaps it’s because of the score which, from the composers’ own words, was modeled after the great scores of Bernard Hermann. Or, perhaps it’s the film’s effective use of the budget limits to create unsettling moments, such as the close-up on Joker’s head as he looks over his freshly-lit carnival with psychopathic glee. Or, perhaps it’s because of Hamill’s chilling performance as the Joker. Every line Hamill speaks crackles with life and a touch of murderous glee—this is a man who seems to have always been meant to play this character.

Hamill also does a fantastic job in the flashback portions as well, garnering sympathy from the audience in scenes that are far too short, mostly because the comic just glances over them rather than delving deeper into things like the relationship between pre-Joker and his wife. This is precisely where liberties could have been taken, expanding upon these flashbacks rather than tacking on scenes that are ultimately irrelevant to the story (we will get to that portion soon).

Perhaps the best part of this film is the song and dance portion, with Mark Hamill singing the creepy and unbelievably catchy, “I Go Looney,” whose lyrics are ripped straight from the pages of the source material. Scenes like this embody the film’s ability to balance between staying true to the source material and also supplementing it. It’s a shame that this second half is brought down by the first half of the film, the portion written almost specifically to pad out the run time.

Yes, before the excellent second half, we have the Batgirl portion of the film, which has garnered a lot of controversy for…a particular reason that this reviewer won’t disclose here. Oddly enough, my biggest issues with this part of the film do not involve the controversial scene in question, though it does come out of left field. It’s not even with the story itself—Batgirl and Batman hunting down a criminal named Paris Franz, who has an unhealthy obsession with Batgirl—which could honestly be a movie of its own. All in all, it’s this portion of the film’s sloppy handling of its limited animation budget and voice acting as well as its lack of cohesiveness with the second half that brings the film as a whole down.

While the second half hits it out of the park despite its animation limitations, the first half stumbles because of these same limitations.   For example, there are many scenes that become distracting because characters in the foreground seem to be staring out into space while one character is talking. This wouldn’t be a bad thing if these scenarios were relaxed, non-combat situations. But these often occur during scenes of high tension, where physical combat is imminent.

The voice acting is also not as great here. Tara Strong as Batgirl is especially disappointing, as a great deal of her dialogue is delivered in an unusually restrained manner that proves distracting. Strong does do a lot better with the character in the second act, however, so this lack of reasonable vocal expression in the first act is baffling to this reviewer. Conroy’s delivery as Batman in this first act is also similarly restrained and monotonic, as though he weren’t entirely comfortable with the lines he has been given. But who can blame him when a great deal of Batman’s lines in this half come across as pretentious teenage poetry about darkness, especially when compared to Moore’s more mature dialogue in the second act?

But those two issues aside, the biggest issue is the lack of cohesiveness between these two acts. It is incredibly clear that these portions of the story were conceived by two different writers, and almost feels like two completely different films crammed into one. This reviewer can see that the screenwriter, Brian Azzarello, is trying to not only craft a parallel between Batgirl’s potential “fall into the void” and the same fall Batman and Gordon potentially face, but also to give Barbara some character before she is attacked in the second act. And this character development would be fine if it amounted to anything in the long run.

By remaining faithful to the source material in the second act, the film ultimately negates the character development that came before. Instead of trying to make Barbara more than a pawn in the Joker’s plan to break Gordon and Batman, this character development just emphasizes rather than fixes the biggest flaw of both versions of The Killing Joke—Barbara is not a character, she is a catalyst. Despite all of her backstory and all that she has done both in this film and in the more expansive comics, she is relegated to nothing more than a victim and a plot device. And the fact that, despite its best efforts, this film maintains this aspect rather than subverting it, defeats the purpose of even having these additional scenes and makes this reviewer question whether or not the original story is really as deserving of the praise it gets. And this is the worst sin an adaptation can commit.

If one ignores the first act, The Killing Joke is an excellent adaptation of the original comic. But with this first act, the film is brought down a bit. Perhaps if there was a better bridge between these two stories, this could have been a better adaptation, at least in this reviewer’s eyes. Or, if portions of Alan Moore’s story were expanded upon more, rather than tacking on additional bits of story that dissipate once the main action involving the Joker begins. All in all, this film is not as bad as a good deal of critics are saying, but it certainly could have been better. As for this reviewer, this film was worth seeing in the theaters, but future watches of the film will include skipping the first act entirely and watching Mark Hamill’s magnificent return to his iconic character.

 

Now, this will be different than the final scores of other films in the past. Instead of just calculating the film in its entirety, this final score will also include the scores of each act of the film, as they are essentially two different films. There will also be a deduction in the final total, as the lack of cohesiveness between the two parts warrants a penalty.

 

Act One Final Score: 7/10

Act Two Final Score: 9/10

Final Score: 6/10      

---

For more reviews, be sure to like this page as well as the Facebook page. For previous reviews, be sure to check out the full directory of reviews. As always, thank you for reading!

Tuesday Night Matinee: Captain America: Civil War

 

Directors: Anthony & Joe Russo

Starring: Chris Evans; Robert Downey, Jr.; Scarlet Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Chadwick Boseman, Elizabeth Olsen

Released: 2016

Trailer

 

I guess one could say my love affair with Marvel started with Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. Yes, I had read some of the comics—well, more skimmed through whatever issues I could find at library book sales—and collected the action figures (many of which I still have). No, I am not ashamed.

I guess one would call it more of a flirtation/fascination with the universe. But what ultimately pushed me into the Marvel Universe was Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. For the first time in my life, I saw one of my favorite superheroes on the big screen. Yes, there were films like X-Men and Blade before that, but neither grabbed me like Spider-Man did. That, and Blade came out when I was less excited to see a horror-themed film. Hard to believe, I know.

After that fateful day in 2002, I dove into the comics, reading whatever I could find, Spider-Man comics in particular. But in my exploration, I read about The Punisher, Daredevil, Ghost Rider, Captain America, Iron Man…so many different characters. Too many characters to make films for, I thought.

If someone were to tell my younger self that there would eventually be not only movies for each of these characters, but a series of films and television shows that would actually link together, culminating in crossover films like The Avengers and even today’s film, I probably would have geeked out or just straight-up disbelieved. But here it is, 2016, and I’m reviewing a third ensemble Marvel film.

Captain America: Civil War is a continuation of the titanic Marvel Cinematic Universe and further developments of characters established in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The Avengers: Age of Ultron. While the world attempts to create a registration act for the Avengers, Captain America once again tries to help his friend, Bucky, recover from his torturous programming, putting him at odds with Tony Stark. Plotting behind the scenes is a man named Zemo, who may or may not have a connection with the film’s heroes. Friendships are tested, enemies are made. Oh, and characters like Spider-Man and Black Panther make their debut.

The story is a touch overstuffed, but still engaging. The plot ultimately feels like two different films intertwined with each other—another Avengers film and another film in the same vein as The Winter Soldier. As a result, the film does feel disjointed at times, going from a tense, politically charged film to a comedic, no-holds-barred action adventure film at the drop of a hat. Both elements of the film are done well, but sometimes this makes the film waver in what tone it’s trying to set. Only in a film like this can the story go from a fun fight scene involving Spider-Man and a giant version of one of the characters to a tense sequence where one of the returning characters may or may not die due to the negligence of another character.

One particularly weak aspect of the film is Zemo’s plot. Ultimately, the steps of his plan seem to change on a whim and seem flimsy at best. Also, these steps hinge on Zemo knowing the psyches of every single Avenger for the plan to even remotely work. And once it’s revealed who Zemo is and why he’s doing this, the odds of him actually understanding the Avengers’ minds and motivations seem more and more unlikely. In the end, Zemo feels like a weaker version of The Dark Knight’s Joker character.

The introduction of Black Panther in this film is actually well executed. The character is interesting and has an engaging character arc. And considering how many heroes are in this film, this is a huge compliment on the writing of this character. Chadwick Boseman does a fantastic job as the character, and I look forward to seeing him in a standalone film. Another compliment to this film is how the filmmakers actually made the Black Panther costume look cool on the big screen. It would have been so easy to make the costume look ridiculous—after all, this is a man dressed as a giant black cat we’re talking about here. But the costume looks great and intimidating, especially whenever the character draws his claws.

On the other hand, Spider-Man’s introduction is both hit and miss. First, the bad. Unlike Black Panther, Spider-Man’s introduction feels purely like fanservice, and serves to distract the audience from the main story. One could completely excise Spider-Man’s scenes from the final product and not have too much change. In fact, the story would more than likely feel more focused than the final product.

On the other hand—IT’S SPIDER-MAN! Every time I saw Spider-Man onscreen, it was like it was 2002 all over again. My favorite superhero on the big screen. Yes, he’s a bit young, especially compared to the two actors who played the character before. But he actually looks and sounds like a high schooler this time, and is far closer to the comic book character than the last two films, especially considering how many little easter eggs are included in the film, including one in the after-credits scene that I won’t dare spoil. Even though he’s wholly unnecessary to the plot, it is great to see Spider-Man once again.

But ultimately, it’s the action scenes that bring the audiences in, and this film does a great job with all of them, especially the airport fight scene that is heavily featured in the trailers. Seeing all of these characters fighting with their particular styles is fun to watch, especially whenever Ant-Man is involved.

Though the choreography and blocking is well done, the camera work could use some, er, work. The cinematographer tends to use a lot of shaky cam and quick cuts in some of the action scenes, which takes away some of the impact of the many fights in the film by almost giving the audience a headache.

Overall, Captain America: Civil War is not the best film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe roster, but it’s still engaging and filled with a sense of escapist fun when it’s not being deadly serious. This reviewer cannot wait to see where the series goes now that Spider-Man and Black Panther are major players in the universe. Only time will tell.

 

Final Score: 7/10

---

For more reviews, be sure to like this page as well as the Facebook page. For previous reviews, be sure to check out the full directory of reviews. As always, thank you for reading!